Maravi

New HIV infection rate alarms Luo

COMMENT - HIV infection rates are statistical constructs, and frankly, they are boondoggles - jobs for the boys. I hate to be the bearer of good news, but how can HIV infection in Zambia be 14.3%, when across the border in the DRC, the national infection rate is 1.3%? I quote: " According to the EDS-RDC, 1.3 percent of the population age 15-49 years is HIV-positive. The prevalence is 1.6 percent for women and 0.9 percent for men. " Source: Democratic Republic of the Congo Demographic and Health Survey 2007

New HIV infection rate alarms Luo
By Abraham Kalito
Wed 07 Mar. 2012, 11:59 CAT

LOCAL government minister Professor Nkandu Luo says new HIV infections are incredibly high at 226 daily.

Speaking when she officiated at the Southern African AIDS Trust (SAT) at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Prof Luo said "closing the tap of new HIV and AIDS infections" was the only way to defeat the scourge.

She said the HIV epidemic would continue for a long time unless it was tackled differently.

"Clearly, unless the epidemic is addressed in a fundamental and meaningful way, Zambia's socioeconomic development will be at risk. As you are aware, HIV prevalence remains high at 14.3 per cent; new HIV infections are also incredibly high at 226 on a daily basis," she said.

Prof Luo said the PF government was fully committed to "face the epidemic head-on" and that it would endeavour to provide an enabling environment that would allow all stakeholders to play their full part in the response.

"Already the government has increased the budgetary allocation to the health sector to 45 per cent from K1,772.9 billion in 2011 to K2,579.9 billion this year," she said.

Prof Luo also said the government was putting in place measures to ensure that Anti Retroviral drugs were available to anyone who needed them.

She said there was need to fight HIV from the communities and families and if possible to focus on individuals and urged SAT to continue sharing the outcomes of its work in strengthening community HIV and AIDS competence in the past 21 years.

Prof Luo is a medical practitioner and a researcher.

Labels: FRAUD, HEALTHCARE, HIV/AIDS, NKANDU LUO, UNAIDS

posted by MrK @ 2:20 PM